IT is difficult to quantify casual racism. But most of us are guilty of it.

However, sensitivities will always be heightened when one’s child is exposed to it.

A friend told me how an online spat between her 12-year-old son and his school friend quickly reduced to a nasty exchange of words: “You’re brown.”

“Stop being racist you freaky retard.”

“You’re a monkey face.”

“Well you’re stupid.”

“At least I’m white.”

In an era that is arguably quite ridiculously politically correct, particularly in a school environment, this episode today would be almost unheard of.

Another friend, a teacher described how she asked her pupils to describe each other as a sweet.

One girl innocently said her Pakistani friend was a ‘caramel’ because she is brown.

Uproar ensued and both sets of parents were duly called into school to clear up the matter.

The irony is, as Asian people, we are grossly indignant when non-Asians pass comments or remarks towards us.

Yet many are happy to use the race card as a scapegoat for almost anything in life- ‘ I didn’t get the job because he’s racist, innit.’‘ ‘I didn’t pass my exams because the examiner is racist.’ Etc, etc.

However, the prejudice that we exert amongst our own people is possibly the most toxic kind of casual racism there is.

It is even more damaging, because it is accepted.

From fair skinned women still being placed on the most culturally insensitive pedestal possible, to regional differences being used to discriminate.

One family friend revealed, “She’s a nice girl. But she’s Punjabi.

“We couldn’t possibly marry into a Punjabi family.”

Another friend relayed to me an anecdote on how a potential marriage partner was rejected by her parents.

“He’s a doctor. Check. Owns his own property. Check. Has a nice car. Check.

“But his family are from Sialkot. Mine are from Karachi. So no chance.”

‘Everyday Racism’ is a new free app that has been launched in order to decipher how covertly racist we actually are.

The app invites the player to put themselves in the shoes of a Muslim woman or an Indian student as they negotiate a range of scenarios in which subtle racism is at play.

Mundane experiences of everyday racism are highlighted by the app.

The app is a great concept, and serves to reiterate how this complex issue remains very much engulfed in all our lives.